OTD 1941: Joe DiMaggio Extended Hit Streak to 56

On this day in 1941, Joe DiMaggio went 3-4 and scored three runs to help the New York Yankees defeat the Cleveland Indians by seven. This performance cemented his legacy in baseball history as he extended his unprecedented hitting streak to 56 games. Many dreamt of Joltin’ Joe sustaining his streak forever, but sadly it was broken the next game when he went 0-4 against the same team.

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INTERESTING FACTS

Joe DiMaggio extended his record hitting streak to an unprecedented 56 games on July 16, 1941
DiMaggio hit a 3-run HR to extend his hitting streak to 45 consecutive games, breaking Willie Keeler’s all-time record
Longest hitting streaks since 1900: 1. Joe DiMaggio (56), 2. Pete Rose (44), 3. George Sisler (41) 4. Ty Cobb (40)

MAIN SIGNIFICANCE

JOE DIMAGGIO FINISHED HIS RECORD HITTING STREAK AT AN UNREAL 56 STRAIGHT GAMES

DiMaggio broke Willie Keller’s former 44-consecutive game record two weeks earlier with his 45th. His 56-game hit streak was remarkable on its own merit, but the fact that he managed to hit .408 (91-223) with 15 HRs and 55 RBIs over that span is absolutely astonishing. Joe was not producing off weak pitching either, as he had faced future HOFs Lefty Grove, Hal Newhouser, Bob Feller, and Ted Lyons during the historic run. DiMaggio’s streak is one of the most impressive records in SPORTS history.